The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of referral of smoking patients to a proactive quitline service for postdischarge cessation support. Participants were recruited from the preoperative clinic of an Australian hospital. Data were collected from project records and a telephone interview with participants 6 months after attending the preoperative clinic. The study found that 64% of the 67 participants accepted an offer of referral to the quitline by preoperative clinic staff. Some 74% of patients referred to the quitline were contacted by the quitline after discharge. Smokers contacted by the quitline and clinic staff referring patients to the quitline generally responded favorably on items assessing the acceptability of the quitline service and the process of referral to the quitline. Referral to the quitline service cost less than US$2 per patient. Referral of patients to a quitline is feasible, was generally considered acceptable by surgical patients and staff, and was inexpensive.

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Nicotine &Tobacco Research following peer review. The version of record Luke Wolfenden, John Wiggers, Elizabeth Campbell, Jenny Knight, Ross Kerridge, Karen Moore, Allan Spigelman, and Michelle Harrison, Feasibility, Acceptability, and Cost of Referring Surgical Patients for Postdischarge Cessation Support from a Quitline, Nicotine Tob Res (2008) 10 (6): 1105-1108 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14622200802097472